Saudi Arabia approves new financial settlement rules for corruption cases    IMCTC launches second phase of Sahel Countries Program in Niger    Riyadh Season 2024 attracts over 18 million visitors    Disaster happened in 'world's most controlled airspace'    American and father of youngest hostages among those due for release from Gaza Saturday    Palestinian born after father was jailed hugs him for the first time    FireAid: Stars take to stage for LA benefit concert    Singer and actress Marianne Faithfull dies at 78    Saudi, Russian foreign ministers discuss regional issues in phone call    MWL chief meets Italian president in Rome; thanking him for supporting two-state solution    Ettifaq sack Steven Gerrard after poor results, appoint Saad Al-Shehri as new head coach    National Cybersecurity Authority launches 2nd phase of Postgraduate Scholarship Program    GASTAT: Real GDP records growth of 4.4% in Q4 2024    Saudi Arabia launches inaugural Art Week Riyadh on April 6-13    HP is redefining the Future of Work with AI    Mona Lisa to be moved as part of major Louvre overhaul    Neymar bids heartfelt goodbye to Al-Hilal: I will always support you    Al-Nassr announces transfer of Brazilian forward Talisca to Fenerbahçe    SFDA chief rules out plan to ban sale of cigarettes or vapes    Al Hilal and Neymar mutually agree to part ways    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Cash crop
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 04 - 04 - 2015


Saudi Gazette report


PRIOR to the 1932 unification of the Kingdom, farming was the main occupation and major source of income for the majority of Saudis with only a handful of people engaging in commercial activities.
Farmers used primitive tools and equipment for irrigation and harvesting purposes and due to the harsh desert climate, most farming was limited to palms trees and a select few seeds and vegetables.
After unification, however, people began to lose interest in farming and sought government jobs as they offered a steady and reliable source of income.
Alarmed at the declining number of farmers, the government set up the Agricultural Development Fund (ADF), which offered farmers interest-free loans with extended grace periods of up to ten years.
The fund also offered generous agriculture equipment purchase plans that slashed prices of equipment by 50 percent. Following the introduction of such initiatives, many Saudis who had given up farming began to return to the profession to take advantage of new lucrative opportunities.

Modern farming
In the old days, farms were typically located close to the homes of farmers in villages and farming used to be a difficult and strenuous job. Farmers had to retrieve water from wells one bucket at a time to irrigate their crops manually though some farmers used camels for this task. By the end of the day, a farmer would go home exhausted due to the physically taxing nature of the job.
When Blackstone & Co., a now defunct British farm implement maker, was first introduced in the Kingdom, it was a game changer as farmers could irrigate their lands quickly and they no longer had to rely on camels, saving them considerable time.
Shortly after, the plow was introduced to cultivate soil and there was no need to use oxen for this purpose. Afterwards, modern well-digging machines were introduced which helped farmers dig up artesian wells as deep as 100 meters. Finally, farming had become an easy job and many farmers decided to invest their money it, thanks to the government support.
ADF
The ADF was established 1962 to finance farmers all over the country and increase productivity of the farming sector with a capital of SR10,838,621,000. All those interested in keeping cows, poultry, sheep, bees, and fish were provided with myriad facilities in terms of financing.
Plows, harvesting machines, well-digging machines, insecticides, fertilizers, etc. were all sold for cheap prices to encourage Saudis to take up farming. The government's plan was successful and the number of farms in the Kingdom increased substantially.

Greenhouses
Greenhouses helped revive farming as a tradition because, compared to traditional methods, they increased yield ten-fold. Farmers began to grow large quantities of vegetables and an increasing number started focusing on growing wheat and barley.
Wheat, vegetable, fodder and date production increased and the country achieved self-sufficiency. Wheat in particular was produced in copious quantities, thanks to generous government subsidies, and the surplus quantities were stored in giant silos and some were given as aid to other countries.

Wheat production halted
In recent years, the government decided to halt wheat production by 2016 due to the depletion of groundwater reserves as the wheat crop consumes large quantities of water.
Its production has been reduced gradually every year and it will reach 12.5 percent by 2016, making the Kingdom one of the major wheat importers around the world.
After the government halted subsidies to farmers growing water intensive crops, many farmers have given up on farming because profits decreased drastically.
But while government subsidies for wheat and rice were stopped, those for corn, millet, sesame and dates were increased. One of the conditions attached with such subsidies is that farmers should adopt modern irrigation methods to stop the depletion of groundwater reserves, which is an important natural resource.

The future: Olives and other crops
Growing olives in the country's north has proved to be successful and many farmers have turned to growing olives, a staple of the Middle Eastern diet.
In other regions, farmers are focusing on sesame, mango, citrus, watermelon and cucumber plants. Today, every region in the country is famous for a certain crop, giving hope that farmers will adopt sustainable agriculture practices that conserve natural resources.


Clic here to read the story from its source.